Work holder



w. MMM E 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

.5R/c 7.' /VoRo Aug. 29, 1950 E. T. NORD WRK HOLDER Original Filed Feb. 26, 1943 Aug. 29, 1950 E, T. NORD 2,520,329

WORK HOLDER Original Filed Feb. 26, 1943 '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mwa f FIG. 4 F/e. 5"

zwi/mgm. fR/c 7'. /VoRD Aug.l 29, 1950 Original Filed Feb. 26, 1945 E. T. NORD WORK HOLDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 rm AW Aug. 29, 1950 E. T. NORD 2,520,329

WORK HOLDER original Filed Feb. 2e, 1945 /Q 4 sheets-sheet 4y atented ug. 195() WORK HOLDER Eric T. Nord, Amherst, Ohio, assignor to U. S. Automatic Corporation, Amherst, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application February 26, 1943, Serial No. 477,241, now Patent No. 2,402,179, dated June 18, 1946. Divided and this application April 4, 1945, Serial No. 586,593

1 Claim. l

The invention relates to metal-cutting tools and particularly to a machine for performing multiple milling operations upon a succession of metal pieces or work fed thereto.

The subject matter claimed in the instant application is` the improvement in work-holder assemblies and the means for actuating the same disclosed in a pending application led by me on improvements in Milling Machines, Serial N o. 477,241, filed February 26, 1943, now Patent No. 2,402,179, granted June 18, 1946, the instant application being a division of said application Serial No. 477,241.

The purposes of the invention disclosed in said application Serial No. 477,241 are the provision of a machine which will dispense with all but a minimum of manual operations, will rapidly and accurately elect a multiple of milling operations upon a plurality of metal parts successively fed thereto, which operations differ amongst themselves not only in that they produce different results in the work, but in that they are eiTected by different methods of approach of the work and the milling tools, the illustrative machine shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specication performing three milling operations in two different stages, in the rst of which stages the work is moved against and into a cutting tool, and in the other of which stages two cutting tools are moved simultaneously into opposed parts of the work.

Claims to the improved methods of effecting varied milling operations upon a metal workpiece, just mentioned, are presented in my pending application Serial No. 586,592, filed April 4,1945, Patent No. 2,433,145, granted Dec. 23, 1947.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means illustrating the improved milling machine, such means constituting, however, only one of the various forms in which the principle of the invention may be embodied.

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved milling machine, the near side plate of the machine being partially broken away, the several elements of the machine appearing in the respective positions assumed by them immediately preceding the completion of all of the milling operations effected by the machine upon the work;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the improved machine;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the piece or work operated upon by the particular form of improved machine shown in the accompanying drawings, the view in Figure 3 being that of a piece which has been completely milled by the improved machine;

Figure 4 is a section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 4 4, Figure 3, particularly showing two milling operations which were effected simultaneously in the second stage of operations upon diametrically opposite sides of the work;

Figure 5 is a section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 5 5, Figure 3, particularly illustrating another milling operation which was effected in the lirst stage of operations on the work;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the left side of the upper portion of the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section, taken in the planes indicated by the line 1 1, Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section, taken in the planes indicated by the l line 8 8, Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary horizontal longitudinal section, taken in the planes indicated by the line 9 9, Figures 7 and 8;

Figure 10 is a plan section, taken in the planes indicated by the line Ill-l 0, Figure l;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary plan section, taken in the planes indicated by the line Il l l, Figure l; and

Figure 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section, taken in the plane indicated by the line I2 |2, Figure 10.

Referring to the annexed drawings in which the same parts are indicated by the same respective numbers in the several views, the operations which the improved milling machine performs upon the Work, in the form of invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, are shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5. The work l0 which, for instance, is a shell nose-piece or screw plug of annular formation, is given two milling cuts Il at one end in diametricallyA opposed areas during the second stage of operations and a milling cut I2 at the same end in another area during the first stage of operations. The cuts H and i2 y may serve various purposes, for instance, the cuts II might accommodate a spanner for placing or removing the piece Hl and the cut l2 might serve for the accommodation of a locking member.

The operations effecting the cuts Il and I2 are performed while the piece I0 is positioned in a reciprocable table 5 of the improved machine.

ing previously been completed, but the milling cutter by which it was effected still being retained in cutting position .and running`-- idly through the cut I2 which it has completed.

rIhe cut l2 is made by a milling cutter 3g roj tated by a transverse horizontal "shaftlifA exe tended transversely across and` above' a :milling area, the Work I being fed td tlie"cutter`30`to effect the operation, and the diametrically opposed cuts Il are made by a pair of mille's20, end mills in the embodiment disclosed, mounted in. A`itransverselyopposed -vertical spindles i 2j() which* are-reciprocablje toward and from eac-h other and thefmilling-area, thecuts lg! being made, by: feeding the millers y2! intothe `worl; It; f Certain primary frame elements of the machine consist .in a transverse top plate2,-Figures and GQdisp'osedl intermediate the longitudinal v*lenig-th f the-machine and-securedte---machine side depending iforwardand rearward cross walls-in termedi'ate the side plates 21, of which the rforwardwall-Z'vFigures 1g-f?, 8, '9, 10, and 1'1, extends downwardly to the-frame base t', and the v'rear wall E3., Figur-el, extends downwardly toa cer; tain area containing/'cams'andfother associated mechanism in the lower rear part of the machine; asLhereina-ter fully described;- 'A `front supporting-frame portion of themachinej isi indicated-by and other rcertainf frame y partsV will be particularly hereinafterr mentioned" in connection with the particular mechanisms which they support'.I The cycle of operations, broadly statedg-'isfas viw" vri w' T7 11F With the reciprocable table 5 in a retracted position from they milling areav 4(its rextreme righthand-position, which is theoppos'ite extreme from that shown in Figures w1'fai'1cl'l9;"foi"instance?, certain 1 i elements accessory f to the table 51 i are opened so thaty a piece-l5, maywbecpositiorecf therein. Then, the accessory elements are 'olosad toloch the' piece? It inithetableflandi the latter' then moved to the left, Figures 1 and lilifto bring' thefipieced il, into f the vfmilling' area, by the "action of a camA 85 f andV conneating*mechanism,v` Figures 1, 10, and 11, and the work? I[l'fe'dfft'hrebylinti thefcutter 353i to` eec't'the'cut 12. Then,lthe "p posed'pair of spindles |29 carrying the millei'sf'Zil are fed transversely-'inwardly' toward-each other? by a caml It and associatedmec'hahism,I 'Figures' :2,A 6,'fand''9,1to cause themillers @28'g'rafinallyV to move intofthe worlr` lf to eifect thefdialnet'- ricallyl opposed fcuts H1. During th cuttin'gop-k' erationseifected by' the opposed miller-'S'*2135v cutter .3c rotates idlythroughthecut112 -wliich itlhasr already-effected, inthepos'itio` shown in Figures l and 12.@1?? i f' `-v'-` "A tension spring 80, Figures l, 11, and l2, tends to retract the table 5andd'cfies so retract it when the action fof the'canil -85'jand "its" cooperating roller fso permit. A compression'springjj FiguresiJ-and 11, tends to spread hieiecipio'atie spindles ezeancifdoes fs@ when its eritroiiirigeaiiifl m5 and-cooperating roller- Yiflli" soipermit'f- As before stated; the positionsof the elements sh 'i i "v' f Ofisplio t HirSeCUi-edotheripr f adjacent vtriebetternf ftiie 'shaft Sfar 'mounted in the" f Io, and rigto which shaft-set directions' of rotation in the accompanying drawings are those assumed immediately prior to the completion of the cutting operations, so that the cams and H15 and their associated elements, and also the controlling springs, are shown in their relative positions at this -stage of' theoperations;

When the cuts Il are completed, thesprings 8! and 88 are permitted respectively to contract and to expand and the table 5 and the cutters 2G are retracted from the milling area, and a cycle 'resulting in the complete desired milling of onepiece` [Il vhas'been' completed.

'^-Referring' now somewhat in detail to the structurea-nd assembly 'of the several elements effecting `the aforementioned broadly stated operationsfdriving p'wer'is furnished by a motor I, Figures 'land (nt-,'to'whose shaft is secured a pulley-2i overwhi*chrims a belt 22 which also engages a pulley 23 secured to a vertical shaft 24. This-'shaft 24 is a primary driving element which extends throughout ther height ofthe machine and is" rotatably mounted adjacent'*theE top in the' frame- -m'eifibei `2,'i-intermediat"ef thetof and bottom in'a flan'gefon' asubf'fianie'll, andat the bottom in a beariiifglbox fnounted'n the fig |2'2'se'cured tothefront wallWI-fof'thsul- 19 irifturn'mounted on'th'in'achine base?!4 l shaft 24 'effectsft'h rc'tatin"or'`A thec'arsBS t m5, Figures 1,51Qfand'i1l, 'andals' eife'c'ts the `ro-J tation' er 'the 'cutter-gi), Figures' irnd ic'ftiiiiiigfri' the several, 'meaiisiir partei 'de Crib a iii fie-; tad-H1. fr' i' ',"rx 'fnf if? i `l `vFor effecting the driving of thecams g5 and E85, a spiralgear 6|, Figure 1l, isecured td a arefsecured; Figureslf-andf-ll'. 9 u such as toeffectth drivingof the-'cam 85 fa dl lcs-inthe directions indicate@ p yifhi'eiarfrcigs Secured toftl' shaft 24 adjacent the pulley 2,3..i is a sprocket 25, Figuresl` and 6, which is'en gaged by'faY-chai'n ich alsoenga and upon those sides of the latter tending to force the chain 26 into engagement with the sprockets 25 and 21, as fully shown in Figure 6, the reciprocation of the sprocket 28 being permitted by securing it to an upright pin 29 whose bottom end is seated in a plate 3| having a pair of spaced elongated slots 33 through which the plate 3| is slidably secured to the top of the machine by headed pins 32. The plate 3| is held to eiect an engaging position of the sprocket 28 and the chain 26 by a depending weight 48, Figure 1, attached to one end of a cable 36 which plays over a pulley 38 and thence a second pulley 31, which pulleys are rotatably mounted on the frame member 2, and a frame block 19 mounted on the front face of the vertical frame wall 22, respectively, and thence over a pulley 84 secured by a pin 35 to the plate 3|, and thence is looped by its opposite end over a `pin 49 upon which the pulley 31 is rotatably mounted.

Claims to the sprocket chain gearing just described are presented in my pending application Serial No. 586,591, filed April 4, 1945, Patent No. 2,428,940, granted October 14, 1947.

The feeding of the table 5 whereby the work I is fed into the cutter 30, is eiiected through a sub-table member 50 mounted on the front frame supporting member 3 and secured to the table 5, Figures 1, 2, l0, and 12, but adjustable relatively to the latter, for a purpose hereinafter fully described, the table member 50 having a rack portion 98 depending from `its bottom face whose teeth 981 engage the teeth 91l of a gear segment 91. This gear segment 91 is actuated through the cam 85 and roller 90, hereinbefore mentioned, as follows: Referring to Figures 1, 10, 11, and l2, it will be noted that the roller 98 is rotatably mounted in the bottom ends of a pair of depending lever arms 9| which, at their upper ends, are made integral with a hub member 92 rotatably mounted upon a cross shaft 89 and having a forwardly and downwardly extending arm 95 formed therewith and mounted at its outer end on a pin I 25 in an end clevis portion 931 of a rod 93 which passes through the frame wall 22 and at its other end by a clevis 932 is pivotally secured to a lever arm 94 secured to a cross shaft 96 mounted in the front frame supporting member 3, to which cross shaft 96 a hub member 912 of the gear segment 91 is secured.

Claims to the improvements in work-table feeds, in part just described, are presented in my pending application Serial No. 586,594, led April 4, 1945, and now abandoned.

i The actuation of the reciprocable miller spindles |20 by the action of the cam |05 is as follows:

Referring to Figures l, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, the

cam roller ||0 is rotatably mounted upon a pin |23 secured in one end of bifurcated lever arms ||51 secured at their other ends to the hub ||52 of a forwardly longitudinally extended lever ||5, said hub |52 being rotatably mounted on the shaft 89, the opposite end of the arm ||5 being pivotally secured by pin |24 to the bottom end clevis portion |061 of a vertical rod |06. The rod |06 is connected by a turnbuckle I8 to an upper rod portion |062 having an upper end clevis portion |063 by which it is pivotally connected to one end of a rock arm |011 xedly mounted intermediate its ends upon a shaft |01 rearwardly extended from the frame block and having a forward end gear portion |08 meshing with` rack teeth |091 whose body portion |09 is secured by screws |26 to a slide en in which one of' the miller spindles |20 is mounted.

The other end of the rock arm |011 is pivotally secured to a clevis which in turn is secured by a right and left threaded rod ||2 to a clevis I1 pivotally secured to a lever ||3 xedly mounted on a second shaft ||4 rearwardly extended from the frame block 10 and having an end gear portion ||6 meshing with the teeth ||11 of a rack plate |1 secured to a second slide 60 in which the opposite miller spindle |20 is mounted. The rack plates |09 and ||1 are disposed in elongated recesses 14 formed in the front face of the block 10, over which block 10 the supports 66 for the spindles |20 slide. The rack plate |09 is positioned at the bottom of one recess 14 and its rack portion |091 engages the bottom of the gear |08; whereas, the rack plate ||1 is positioned at the top of the other recess 14 and its teeth engage the gear ||6 at the top, so that downward and upward movements, respectively, of the rod |06, Figure 1, cause the miller spindles |20 to approach each other and to recede from each other.

When the cam roller ||0 drops into the low portion of the cam |05 and thus terminates the downward pull by the forward end of the lever ||5 maintained on the rod |06 when the roller ||0 is riding on the high part of the cam |05, the compression spring 88, Figures l and 11, which surrounds an upright rod 86 and is conned between a spaced abutment 811 secured to said rod 86 and a bushing 81 mounted on the flange |22 of the sub-frame 19, eiects the upward movement of the arm ||5 since the upper end of the rod 86 is pivotally connected by an upper end clevis portion 861 to a pin 862 mounted in the arm ||5, thus spreading the spindle slides 68. Furthermore, the spreading of the slides 60, Figure 9, is aided by a plurality of compression springs |00, Figures 1, 6, and 9, abutting at their ends against elongated adjustable bolts |0| passed transversely into the side faces or the respective slides 60.

The table -5 is so constructed as to permit the clamping of a work-piece |0 therein preliminarily to the movement of the table toward the milling area and to effect such clamping of the piece |0 the following structure is provided:

The table 5 is formed with a longitudinal recess 51 extending from its front edge to the front edge of a plate 62 at the transverse center line of the milling area which recess 51 accommodates a plate 6, the plates 6 and 62 having longitudinally opposed parts which are so shaped and can be so disposed as to provide an opening through which the shank |3 of the piece I0, Figures 3, 4, and 5, may be passed when the plate parts 6 and 62 are sufliciently spaced, as hereinafter fully described. The opposed edges of these plate parts 6 and 62 are of arcuate formation so as to form, when in their closed position, a substantially complete plate circle adapted to engage the annular side recess I4 of the piece |0. The opposed edgesof the plate members 6 and 62 forming this circle are under-beveled or of lip construction 61 and `63, Figures 1, 10, and 12, whereby they are readily inserted under the top ilange l1 of the piece |0. Intersecting the recess 51 of the table 5 in which the plate part 6 is seated is a lower recess 1 through which and the recess 51 passes an upstanding pin 5| rotatably seated in the underlying body portion of the table `5. This pin 5| is formed with an eccentric 40 positioned in and of a depth equal to the combineol denti-a of the recesses 51 and l and passes through an elongated opening ,in the plate Imeniber .o ofthe san- 1e width as the Y lone asis. of the eooeatrio i0 and Whose front and rear walls el and 82 .are eneaeed, respectively, by the eccentric fi when the latter is turned, to effect openine moveiiieuts. and .closing movements, respectively7 of the Plate member t, Itis evident then t...attheee opening movements and closing movemerits are, respectively, .forward movements and rearward movements of tbe siate e on the table 5. The turbine movement of the eccentric 4u is afforced. by a handle M1 secured to a block 4| Wbioh. in turn is adiustabiy Secured by a set screw to the pin 5| is mounted on an linearly-ius bearing bleek a which is secured to tno table 5 by screws H9 and rthrough which the rotatabie ein t l passes..

The plate@ at its rear end is retained in the recess ,5i by a bar l5 which is secured by screws i6 at its ends to the side portions of the work table .5.` and tbe biate member e2 is secured to the corresponding end of the underlying portion of the work table 5 at each side by .a pair of screws |23..

From the aforegoing description, it is evident that, in the position of the handle fill shown in Figures l, lo, and 1,2, the roost extended portion of the eccentric Il@ which is shown as being extended toward the milling area has forced the plate part o into tight engagement with the work piece iii which in turn has been forced into tight engagement with the rear plate member 52. In fact, due to the action of the gear segment 9i and its associated elements, the work-.piece lo has been forced by the subsequent working movement of the table 5, into the milling cutter E@ far enough to have completed the milling cut I2, the potion of the elements shown in the accompanying views. vWhen the table 5, has been retracted from the working area, then a turning of the handle 1. will. further retract the plate member 6 through the action oi" the eccentric iii so that an opening is provided between the plate members 6, and E? large enough for the withdrawal o the comcleted piece iii and for the insertion of the ne:7 piece IEB..

To provide means to aid the retraction of the plate member 5, when the handle eil is actuated to induce such reir ction, a compression spring 3.3.1 Figli-res. 1i 101. i2., is` mounted in a recess 8 I for-,med in the t le member 5 adjacent the milling area, whiei' compression spring t3 abuts aguil t a 1311.1, Sizlable the. recess Si and decenios trom the plate member t..

A, positive stop, is provided for the forward movement of the table 5j into the milling area. This stopA operates when the table 5 has carried the workv I3,V suniciently into the wor ting area to. have enabled thev rotary cutter 3,9 to complete. the, f u-ll milling operation eiecting the. out l2. This. 5.11.0?) is a screw lil', Figures` l, 2, 1'?, and 12, which engages and Stopped by the iront. wall 3 of the machine frame when the table 5 has moved intov thi ugh the. milling area sufT ciently to complete une mi-iling operation ei'ected b y the cutter The screw iii is adjustably mounted in 'the lower of abracket 581 ifhich i-red at it by screws 59. to. the. A, During the forward and Guts; of the work table. 5 into. and out. of the woi ing area, the sub-table mem.- ber mocos withn the tablel 5 and; is an integral pest thereof. for Saab tomara andy reti-seeing pllYPQSei 'rice` rigid connection. oi the table` teethgl'l of the gear segment 91.

members .5 and .5.0 for working purposes is eiected by set screws 5e., Figures 1, 2, and 1l), which -pass into the .table member V .and .against T-shaped depending tongues .5.2 of the table 5 seated in and 'longitudinally adjustable of complementary grooves 53 formed inthe table member 5D. When it is desired to adjust the table 5 with relation to the sub-table 5o, such adjustment can be made, Without disturbingI the underlying rack and gear setting, by loosening the screws 54 .and sliding the table 5 in the sub-table 50 by means of the tongues 52. and grooves 53 and then .tightening the screws 54 in thenewtadjusted position `of the table 5.- To the extent desired, also, the adjustment of the working .stroke vmay be secured by manipulating the stop screw 61 in the bracket and to that extent not adjusting the table members 5 and 5t.. AFurther adjustments in the location of the table travel which may become necessary to suit adjustments of the screw 6.1 may be effected by adjusting the .clevis 9.32 upon its rod Q3.

The sliding of the combined table structure 5 5@ in the machine frame is effected by the following means:

The front frame member 3 is formed with .an upper central extension IB, Figures `1, '2, and 12, in the upper surface of which an undercut .dovetail recess is formed which accommodates a.v complementary dovetail adapted to slide longitudinally thereof and depending from the subtable member 5D. Depending from the central part ci the bottom of the dovetail 55 is the rack body Eiil having bottom teeth 981 engaged by the A gib 84, Figure 2, is provided for insuring a snug sliding engagement of the dovetail 55 and recess 56 and is held in position by a series of side screws 51 passed through the frame part I8.

The. structure permitting the reciprocation of the spindle slides E0 to and from each .other and providing a positive stop for the inward reciprocation thereof is as follows:

The slides Gli are formed with rearwardly disposed outwardly-extended side portions 601, Figures l, 2, 6, 7, and 9, having rear dovetals ortongues @d3 with upper and lower rearwardly and respectively upwardly and downwardly beveled sur-faces adapted to slide in complementary grooves 'li formed in the frame member '10. Gibs 'i3 are provided at the .uppereng'agi'n-g sur-faces of the tongue. and groove members.

Secured by screws |03, Figure l, to the Side surfaces of the block t@ are a pair of forwardly extending brackets Iii-2 throughV the forward ends ofv whichv freely passy elongated screws- |04, Fig'- ures 6 and 9, secured in the respective slide side portions Gul. Exteriorly of the brackets |92 the screws ia64, are provided with- -nuts 21= which engage the brackets to2 upon the inward movements of the .slides Se. thus to form stops limiting such inward movements. Adjustment of the nuts |:2'| will adjustthe amount of inward movement of the slides The spacing between the slides in their closed innermost positions is indicated by l5, Figures. 2, 6, 8, and 9.

Surrounding the. spindles I'Z and! con-tained in chambers. @8. formed: in the slides 6|]- are. compression springs. S2 for holding the end. mills 20` in the desired lowermost cutting position, the? spring-s. bearing against upper linedi abutments 'il and iower sliding abutmen-ts 'i5 whosev downward Inoven'ient` is. limited. by nuts |29 provided upon the upper ends of.' the'. spindles |20.

What I claim is:

A Work-holder for a machine tool comprising a table, a work-pocket member secured to the table and presenting an arcuate end portion having an undercut edge, a second member slidably mounted on the table and having a complementary opposed arcuate end portion with an undercut edge, the undercut edges forming lips adapted in closed position of the members to engage the work, the table being formed with a. recess engaged by the second member for the slidable movements of the latter, the table being formed with a second recess opening into the first recess, a pin rotatably mounted in the table, passing through both of said recesses, and having an outwardly-extended handle mem-ber, the second member being formed with an elongated opening therethrough, and the pin having an eccentric portion adapted to engage opposed walls of the opening and depending into the second-mentioned recess.

ERIC T. NORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,254,589 Forsman Jan. 22, 1918 1,382,793 Lewis June 28, 1921 1,452,506 Hervig Apr. 24, 1923 1,796,763 Patterson Mar. 17, 1931 1,894,232 Coe Jan. 10, 1933 2,223,323 Koch Nov.y 26, 1940 2,411,790 Hadley Nov. 26, 1946 

